Marcus Rashford came off the bench to quell any concerns of an improbable Nottingham Forest comeback with a hand in both goals on the night in a 2-0 win which sent Manchester United safely through to face old foe Newcastle United in the EFL Cup Final.
United instantly looked a more potent threat and on 72 minutes, Rashford’s blocked shot fell fortuitously to Martial who finished from 12 yards.
Just three minutes later Rashford, who has gained supreme notoriety for his goalscoring exploits since returning from the World Cup, instead turned provider, laying Bruno Fernandes’ ball back across goal for Fred to tap in.
Even the most optimistic of Forest fans would have recognised the tie had all but been won in the first leg but a semi-final exit still marks their best run in the EFL Cup for 31 years.
For United, they have faced sterner resistance in the cup this season but for some of their more superstitious supporters there will be a slight concern that the Red Devils have lost all three of their EFL Cup finals when winning both legs of the semi-final and with Eddie Howe’s Newcastle laying in wait, a first chance for silverware since 2017.
